Hand valve



Sept. 2, 1954 1. l.. LUNA ET AL HAND VALVE Filed April 28. 1953 n A IHuw! Pa'tented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND VALVE.lose L. Luna, Chicago, and Francis C. Paradise, Libertyville, Ill.,assignors to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofVirginia Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,532

6 Claims. l

The present invention relates to control valves adapted to be supportedand operated by one hand of the user.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved valve of thischaracter which is not subject to accidental opening by force appliedinadvertently to the manual actuator for the valve.

A more specific object is to provide a control valve that can be openedonly by gripping simultaneously control members disposed on oppositesides of a support handle.

Another object is to provide a 4high pressure valve of the abovecharacter that can be easily opened with one hand by unstrenuousgripping of conveniently located manual controls.

A further object is to provide a control valve of the character recitedhaving a compact, economical construction composed of a very smallnumber of parts.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription of the exemplary form of the invention shown in the drawing,in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of a hand valve embodying theinvention, the valve being illustrated in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the valve handle, takenalong line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a generally horizontal sectional View through the valve handletaken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the open valve positionof the actuating assembly appearing in the upper right portion of Fig.1.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the high pressure controlvalve forming the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises ahousing I5 including a hollow pistol grip handle I2 and a forwardlyextending barrel I4 threaded into a generally cylindrical receiver IG onthe upper end of the handle. The barrel I4 is held against rotation inthe receiver Iii by a stud bolt I8 extending downwardly through thereceiver and threaded into the barrel.

A longitudinal passageway 2U formed in the barrel I ll is charged withhigh pressure uid through a diagonal inlet 22 extending through aprotuberance 24 on one side of the barrel. The outer end of the inlet 22is threaded to receive a exible conduit (not shown).

The flow of uid out through the forward end of the passageway 20 iscontrolled by the coaction of an annular valve seat 26 threaded intovthe passageway and a pointed ow control member 28. Supported on acontrol stem 32, which extends rearwardly through a packing gland 34 anda sleeve 35 in the rear end of the barrel I4, the ow control member 28is urged into engagernent with the valve seat 25 Eby a compressionspring 38 coiled about the stem 32 and acting between the rear end ofthe flow control member and a washer d2 resting against the gland 34.

The now control member 28 is moved rearwardly to open the valve by anactuating assembly llli contained largely within the hollow handle I2and operated by the gripping force of the users hand which grasps thehandle.

In the preferred construction shown, the handle I2, itself, is formed intwo longitudinal half sections 'it and i3 cast from a suitable plasticor metal alloy and secured in face to face relation to each other bytransverse screws 59 and various pivot pins extending between the twosections to support the actuating assembly lid within the handle. Asshown, the two half sections l, 48, are substantially mirror images ofeach other; the previously mentioned receiver I6, however, being formedentirely on the half section 48 appearing in Fig. l.

Designed for unstrenuous opening of the valve against the force of thespring 3S and the pressure of the fluid within the passageway 20 on theflow control member 28, the actuating assembly 44 comprises achannel-like retractor lever 52 pivotally supported at its upper end Eliwithin a hollow bulge 56 at the upper end of the handle I4. Extendingdownwardly across the rear end of the control stem 32, the two legs 58of the retractor lever 52 are articulated with the stem by means of apin 6 extending transversely Ibetween medial portions of the legs andengaging the forward side of a depending lug t2 integral with a sleeveG4 threaded onto the rear end of the stem.

Longitudinal adjustment of the stem 32 in relation to the retractorlever pin 5! is effected by rotating the stem within the threaded sleeve64, the sleeve being held against turning movement by the dispostion ofthe lug 62 between the lever legs 58. For this purpose an opening te,normally closed by a removable cover 63, is provided in the handle I2 atthe rear of the stem 32 for the insertion of a screw driver or the liketo engage the slotted rear end of the stem which projects through abreak in the connecting web l0 between the two retractor lever legs 58.A slotted locknut 'I2 on the threaded stem, is tightened against thesleeve 6d to hold the adjustment made.

To open the valve the retractor lever 52 is swung rearwardly by anactuating lever M supported on a transverse pivot pin 'i6 in the lowerend of the handle l2 and extending upwardly through a slot 18 in theforward side of the handle. Inclined forwardly beyond the adjacent sidesof the handle I2, the actuating lever 'i4 is formed with rearwardlyextending webs 39 running along the opposite side edges thereof andextending slidably into the handle slot 18. The upper forward end of theactuating lever ld has a slightly arcuate shape which conforms closelyTto a concave surface 82 on the underside of the receiver I5. Forwardmovement of the actuator lever 'i4 is limited by a U-shaped cushionspring 84 medially attached to an enlargement 88 on the upper end of thelever and including a pair of legs 88 extending upwardly and forwardlytoV engage the rear end of the barrel H.

Initial rearward movement of the actuating lever 14 is transmitted tothe retractor lever 52 by a rst fulcrum element comprising a rearwardlyextending stub pin 90 mounted on the actuating lever to engage the webl@ at the lower end lof the retractor lever. This provides a relativelyhigh-leverage multiplication of the gripping force on the actuatinglever 'hi for easy unseating of the ilow control member 2&3. After theactuator lever 'I4 has moved rearwardly a short distance, unseating theflow control member 28, a second fulcrum element, formed by a pin 9|extending transversely through the rear, upper end of the actuatinglever land disposed a substantial distance above the first fulcrumelement 90, is lbrought into lengagement with the adjacent forward edgesof the retractor lever legs 5t. At this point the engagement 0I theVactuating lever 'F4 with the retractor lever 52 shifts from the firstfulcrum Si! to the second fulcrum 9| to lprovide increased valve openingmovement of the iiow control member 28 as rearward movement of theactuating lever vis continued. During this latter phase of the valveopening movement, closing force on the flow control member 28 is reducedby 'the outward flow of uid from vthe passageway 20.

The valve is `closed by the spring 38, returning the actuating linkageto closed valve position where it is automatically locked against `valveopening movement by a locking dog '9d pivvoted on a pin 95 extendingbetween a pair of opposed bosses 96 centrally located on the handlesections 45 and 48. In the preferred construction shown, a radiallocking arm |80 on the dog 94 extends forwardly under the extreme lowerfend of the retractor lever web lil. Biased .upwardly against the weblll, the locking arm itl) is notched at its free end to form a forwardlyfacing shoulder |02 which engages the web to hold the retractor leveragainst rearward movement.

To release the retractor lever 52, the locking arm |00 is tippeddownwardly by an unlocking lever |04 (somewhat similar to the actuatorlever '14) pivoted at `||J|i near the lower end of the handle |2 andextending upward through la Vertical slot |98 in the back side of thehandle to a level above the locking dog 94. Protruding rearwardlysomewhat from the handle slot |08, the unlocking lever |04 is grippedsimultaneously with the actuating lever 'M and pressed inwardly whensqueezing force is applied by the user. This inward movement fof theunlocking lever is transmitted to the locking dog 94 through arearwardly extending operating arm I |0 on the dog. In this instance theoperating arm ||0 engages a wear plate ||2 secured to the inner face ofthe lever |04, which is of plastic construction.

The unlocking lever |04 is biased outwardly by a compression spring I I4acting between a spring seat ||6 on the lever and the lower end of adownwardly extending spring arm ||8 on the dog 94, whereby the springserves the additional function of urging the `dog in a clockwisedirection, with reference to Fig. 1, to bias the locking arm |00upwardly. The extent of outward movement of the unlocking lever |04 islimited by the engagement of an upright ear |20 on the lever with themarginal edge |22 of the handle at the upper end of the slot |08. Arearwardly extending guard |24 on the upper end of the unlocking lever|04 is designed to rest between the thumb and foreiinger of the usershand.

It will be appreciated that the necessity for applying gripping forcesimultaneously to both the unlocking lever |04 and the actuating leverlil in order to open the valve prevents its accidental opening by forcesapplied inadvertently to the actuating lever alone. Thus, as a practicalmatter the valve will not open until it is picked up by the user who canyunlock and open the valve by an unstrenuous gripping force appliedsimultaneously to the control levers 'lll and 505| located on oppositesides of the handle 2.

The valve thus formed is of a compact, economical constructioncomprising a small number of simple parts contained largely within thehollow handle I2.

While we have shown and described a preierred embodiment of ourinvention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and medihcationsthereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles andscope or" the invention. We therefore desire, by the following claims,to include all such variations and modications by which substantiallythe results of our invention may be obtained through the use ofsubstantially the same or equivalent means.

We claim:

l. A hand valve comprising, in combination, a compact housing includinga hollow pistol grip handle and means deiining a fluid passagewaytherein, a valve seat in said passageway, a flow control member coactingwith said seat., operating means for said control member including agenerally vertical retractor member disposed within said hollow handle,a generally -vertical actuating lever pivoted to the lower end of saidhandle and movably disposed on one side thereof, a first fulcrum elementon said actuating lever en'gageable with said retractor member forunseating said ow control member, a second fulcrum element on `saidactuating lever located above said rst fulcrum element and engageablewith vsaid vretractor member to 'continue opening movement of said flowIcontrol member, a lock,- ing dog within sai-d handle engagea'ble withsaid retractor member to preclude valve opening movement thereof, and anrunlocking Ymember' movably mounted in the side of said hand-le-opposite from said actuating lever and coacting with said dog to unlocksaid yactuating member.

2. A hand valve cemprising, in combination, a housing including a'hollowpistol grip handle `and means ldeiining a 'ii-1nd passageway, a movableiiow control member in said passageway, actuating means `connected withysaid itl-'ow control member and including an actuating lever at oneside ci said handle, a locking dog engageable with said actuating meansto positively lock the latter against valve opening movement, anunlocking member movably disposed on the side of said handle oppositefrom said actuating lever to be operated by the hand of the usergrasping said handle, and said unlocking member being connected withsaid dog for unlocking said actuating means when gripping force isapplied to said unlocking member and said actuating leversimultaneously.

3. A hand valve comprising, in combination, a housing including a hollowhandle and means dening a ow passageway, a flow control member in saidpassageway, actuating means in said handle connected with said iiowcontrol member for opening the valve, an unlocking lever pivotallymounted on said handle; a locking dog pivotally mounted in said handleand including a locking arm engageable with said actuating means toprevent valve opening movement thereof, an operating arm engageable withsaid unlocking lever to be actuated thereby, and a spring arm; and adual purpose return and biasing spring connected between said spring armand said unlocking lever.

4. A compact hand valve comprising, in combination, a hollow pistol griphandle, a barrel on the forward side of said handle deiining a flowpassageway therein, a valve seat in said passageway, a flow controlmember coacting with said seat, an operating stem connected to said ilowcontrol member and extending into the upper end of said handle, aretractor lever pivotally interconnected between said handle and saidstem, an actuating lever swingably disposed along the forward side ofsaid handle, a nrst fulcrurn element on said actuating lever engageablewith said retractor lever to effect high-leverage unseating movement ofsaid now control member, and a second fulcrum element on said actuatinglever spaced from said first fulcrum element and engageable with saidretractor lever to effect continued, low-leverage valve opening movementof the latter.

Cil

5. A hand valve comprising, in combination, flow control means, ahandle, actuating means connected to said flow control means andincluding an actuating member on one side of said handle, locking meansfor locking said actuating means against valve opening movement andincluding an unlocking member disposed on the side of said handleopposite from said actuating member, and said actuating member and saidunlocking member being adapted to be squeezed simultaneously by the handof the user grasping said handle.

6. A control valve comprising, in combination, a hollow handle, owcontrol means including a control member extending into said handle, aretractor lever pivoted within said handle and extending downwardly pastthe inner end of said control member, means forming an adjustableconnection between said control member and the medial portion of saidretractor lever, an actuating lever pivoted to the lower end of saidhandle and extending upwardly substantially above the lower end of saidretractor lever, first fulcrum means` on said actuating lever engageablewith said retractor lever to provide for high leverage initial openingmovement of said control member, second fulcrum means on said actuatinglever disposed a substantial distance above said i'lrst fulcrum meansand engageable with said retractor lever to provide continued lowleverage opening movement of said control member, a locking dog mountedwithin said handle and engageable with said retractor lever to lock thelatter against valve opening movement, an unlocking lever on the side ofsaid handle opposite from said actuating lever and connected to saidlocking dog for unlocking said retractor lever upon the application ofgripping force to said unlocking lever and said actuating leversimultaneously, and a dual purpose return and biasing spring connectedbetween said unlocking lever and said locking dog.

No references cited.

